JD(S) stages massive protest against Bidadi township land acquisition

The JD(S) on Tuesday staged a massive protest here against the acquisition of agricultural land for the proposed GBIT project near Bidadi in Karnataka.

The protest held at Freedom Park here was led by former Prime Minister and party supremo H D Deve Gowda.

A huge number of farmers from various districts of the State, along with members of JDS and BJP, participated in the protest.

Speaking to reporters here, Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy extended his support to farmers protesting against acquisition of agricultural land for the proposed project, alleging that the state government had ignored the demands of farmers who have been protesting for nearly 500 days.

Kumaraswamy said the farming community had been continuously opposing the government's move to acquire their land and alleged that the government was acting "arrogantly" by refusing to heed their requests.

"For the last 500 days, this government has arrogantly not given any response to the requests of the farming community. This government is going against the farmers' demands," he said.

Kumaraswamy claimed that more than 80 per cent of the farming community in the affected area was not willing to surrender their ancestral properties for the proposed project.

"This massive protest rally is not... to misuse the farming community to strengthen our party. The farming community is requesting the government not to take their land in the name of an integrated city or township," he said.

He said his party had always supported farmers whenever they faced difficulties or when governments made decisions against their interests, and that today's massive rally has been held to oppose the government's decision and stand with the voice of the farming community.

JD(S) youth wing president Nikhil Kumaraswamy alleged that the Congress government was trying to forcibly acquire farmers' land in the name of development and was using the project to make money through real estate.

He said a march from Byramangala near Bidadi to Freedom Park had been stopped by the government after two days of the padayatra.

"Two days of padayatra made such an impact that the government was shaken up, and they completely stopped us," he told reporters here.

On August 9, the JD(S) had organised a padayatra against the acquisition of agricultural land for the proposed GBIT project.

Supported by alliance partner BJP, the march from Byramangala near Bidadi to Freedom Park in Bengaluru city, led by Nikhil, was originally planned for three days but it called off the march on its second day (August 10) after police stopped them near Kaniminike.

"Today we are standing for farmers, so the government at least now should step up their game and should make sure that they do not forcefully do the project," he said.

Accusing the Congress government of using development as a pretext for financial gains, he said, "Today the Congress, in the name of development, want to loot." "This project is only to make money out of real estate," he alleged.

Amid protests by farmers and locals, the government has constituted a high-level committee headed by retired High Court Judge Justice Guhanathan Narendar to review the varying opinions and feedback regarding the Greater Bengaluru Integrated Township project.

Earlier, despite opposition from farmers and local people, the government has issued two sets of final notifications for the acquisition of over 5,400 acres of land spread across seven villages for the GBIT project, which is projected as India's "first AI-powered integrated township".

According to sources, the Bidadi project requires acquiring 9,600 acres spread across nine revenue villages and 16 non-revenue villages.

The state government had issued a preliminary notification in March last year to acquire a total of 7,481 acres across nine villages in the region for the proposed project, and more notifications are expected in the coming days.